Montebianco - A Chestnut Puree

Montebianco, Europe's highest peak, has lent its name to this chestnut puree, which seems to have been invented by a French pastry chef. No matter; it's quite popular in the Val d'Aosta too, and has spread throughout the land as a winter dessert, both because it's tasty and because it lends itself to innumerable flights of artistic fancy. To make a Montebianco for 4, you'll need:

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) chestnuts
• A dozen marrons glacés (store-bought, or see link below)
• 1 quart of milk
• 1 pint (500 ml) whipping cream
• A vanilla bean (or 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
• A jigger of rum
• 1 1/8 cups (250 g) sugar
• A pinch of salt

Preparation:

Begin by making a slice across the front of each chestnut, then blanch them briefly in salted water. Peel them and remove the inner membranes, then put them in a pot to cook with milk to cover, the sugar and the vanilla bean. Simmer the chestnuts for about 45 minutes, then remove them from the milk (discard the vanilla at this point) and put them through a strainer. Flavor the chestnut puree with the rum, shape it into a mountain, and chill it in the refrigerator. Come time to serve the dish, whip the cream to firm peaks and lay it out as snow over the mountain. Decorate the mountain with the marrons glacés (or use whatever other decorations you prefer) and serve it forth. What with? A Caffé alla Valdostana might be nice.

Yield: 4 servings of Montebianco.

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